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Interactive toy

a toy and interactive technology, applied in the field of interactive toys, can solve the problems of a child's frustration in using the toy to interact with the talking stage, the block's educational content is limited, and the toy cannot be used to respond to the toy

Inactive Publication Date: 2008-03-25
LEAPFROG ENTERPRISES
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]One embodiment of the invention is directed to an interactive toy comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a receiving region on the housing; (c) a detection device including a plurality of detectors in the receiving region; (d) a processor operatively coupled to the detection device; (e) a solid object that is capable of being received in the receiving region, the solid object including a first face defined by one or more continuous, uninterrupted edges and having a first structural pattern, and a second face defined by one or more continuous, uninterrupted edges and having a second structural pattern, the first structural pattern being different than the second structural pattern, wherein a different number or combination of detectors in the plurality of detectors is activated when the first structural pattern interfaces with the detection device than when the second structural pattern interfaces with the detection device.
[0012]Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a n interactive toy comprising: (a) a housing; (

Problems solved by technology

Small children may put a non-coded side of the block in contact with the talking stage and may consequently get no response from the toy.
The inability of a child to use the block to interact with the talking stage can be frustrating.
Moreover, all faces of the blocks are not effectively utilized in the Talking Phonics Blocks toy so that the educational content provided by the blocks is limited.
While such blocks are useful, the use of metal and electronics such as resistors in the blocks adds to the cost of the blocks and the toy as a whole.
The electronics that are used with the blocks are also complicated.
Second, the Music Blocks toy only produces music and provides no other outputs.
Accordingly, the usefulness of the Music Blocks toy is basically limited to teaching children about music.
Second, complicated molds and tooling are required to make the interrupted and discontinuous edges of the answer blocks.
To the extent that the answer blocks can even be formed, it is difficult to form the answer blocks.
Third, the interrupted and discontinuous edges of the answer block are unprotected and can easily be damaged by physical contact with another object.
If the uninterrupted and discontinuous edges are damaged, the answer blocks will not work properly as the edge structures are what make the answer blocks work.

Method used

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Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0037]Embodiments of the invention are directed to interactive toys and in particular, educational toys. The educational toys according to embodiments of the invention can be adapted to teach a child about any suitable subject including, but not limited to numbers (e.g., recognition, sequence, and sounds), letters (e.g., recognition, sequence, and sounds), math, phonics, phonemes, animal names, animal sounds, animal facts, words, spelling, geography, counting, reading, fun facts, foreign languages, history, science, etc. Audio or visual outputs corresponding to any of these or other subjects can be preprogrammed into a memory associated with the toys.

[0038]Embodiments of the invention include interactive toys using solid objects, interactive books (with or without solid objects), and electronic toy vehicle apparatuses (with or without solid objects). The electronic toy vehicle apparatuses preferably include electronic toy trains and train tracks. Embodiments of the invention are fun...

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PUM

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Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to interactive toys. In one embodiment, the interactive toy includes a housing, and a receiving region on the housing. A detection device including a plurality of detectors is in the receiving region. A processor operatively coupled to the detection device. A solid object is received in the receiving region. The toy could be a toy electronic train, or an interactive book.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This non-provisional application claims the benefit of the filing dates of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 346,454, filed Jan. 5, 2002, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 346,326, filed Jan. 5, 2002. Both of these provisional patent applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]A number of interactive toys exist. Many of these interactive toys are adapted to teach children skills such as reading, letter recognition, counting and math. Some conventional interactive toys use block-type items to facilitate learning.[0003]One such toy is called Talking Phonics Blocks made by Child Guidance. In the Talking Phonics Blocks toy, a toy block is placed on a talking stage. The toy includes 7 blocks. Each block has six block faces, and a pattern of protrusions throughout one of the block faces. The four block faces that are directly adjacent to the coded face have words and images of ob...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A63H30/00A63H19/00A63H33/38G09B5/06
CPCA63H30/00G09B5/062A63H19/00A63H33/38A63H2200/00
Inventor WOOD, MICHAEL C.HENDRICKSON, CRAIG R.CAMPISANO, KATHLEENCORDOVA, JIM
Owner LEAPFROG ENTERPRISES
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